I’m calling an emergency Friday rant; I have a lot to get off my chest. I already ranted and raved like almost every other Braves fan on Twitter, but it’s truly mind-blowing to me. Looking at the call itself, it’s clear that Major League Baseball’s interest is not making the right call. So, it boils down to protecting the egos of their fellow umpire on the field. There was no excuse for missing that call last night; it was obvious to anyone with a set of eyes. I genuinely do not understand what you could have seen that would lead you to conclude that Alec Bohm was safe.
Not much has gone right for Atlanta in 2021; after having the All-Star Game moved out of Atlanta, there is still a lot of tension between the fans and Major League Baseball. The Braves have one of the largest fanbases in the entire country, and they haven’t forgotten about the blown call in the Wild Card game against St. Louis. Combine the harsh international sanctions set out against the former regime and the most recent atrocities; you have a recipe for disaster. I’m very frustrated and hurt as a fan, just in general. Baseball feels like a game that I don’t even recognize anymore, and as much as I love my Braves, it’s getting difficult to be the diehard fan that I have always been. Most of the fans can’t even watch the team on TV right now.
Putting all of that aside, it has been a terrible start to the 2021 season. Umpires have been absolutely horrific so far, somehow even worse than usual. I understand humans make mistakes, but this is a league-wide problem. The Padres and Rangers game this week had problems with balls and strikes, and of course, the Mets scored a winning run on a HBP that was in the strike zone.
I just don’t understand how you can act so committed to fan experience while simultaneously ignoring what they say to you. Very few fans like the new extra-inning rule, yet here we are. Major League Baseball has gotten away from what’s important — the game itself. The product. Just about everything has become about money, and it makes me sick to my stomach. I don’t expect Rob Manfred to make a statement, but he should. I’m sure if he does, nothing will change — things will only continue to get worse until they get better when he’s gone.
As a Braves fan, I don’t watch for him. I watch for Ozzie. I watch for Freddie. I watch for Ronald. I watch for the 26 guys on our roster and everyone else in the system. Major League Baseball better hope fans don’t feel the same way as me because they’re alienating them quickly.
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